The Syrian government delegation to peace talks in Geneva has said it needs to consult with Damascus before it can confirm it will return for a second round on Feb 10, mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said today, after the close of the first round.

"They didn't tell me that they are thinking of not coming. On the contrary, they said that they would come but they needed to check with their capital", Brahimi told a news conference in Geneva. He said the opposition delegation had confirmed it would come back.

Brahimi listed 10 "simple" points that he felt the two sides agreed on in the talks and said he thought there was more common ground than the two sides recognised. He has asked both sides to return to work on a prepared agenda after a week's break.